Stage Door Canteen

Stage Door Canteen


United Artists, 1943, B/W, 132 minutes, ***

Released June, 1943



If you want to see half of the great stars of Hollywood and the New York Stage all at once, in one movie, then this is the movie to watch!! It's basically a revue, though it has a minimal plot, with many cameos and performances by a diverse array of celebrities. The Stage Door Canteens were operated in conjunction with the USO during World War II, and the Hollywood Stage Door Canteen and the New York Stage Door Canteen were "manned" by celebrities. This film provides another look at the War era, dramatizing the final moments of enlistees and draftees who were held in New York until there was room to ship them to Europe by ship. Many men said their final farewells here.



Produced by: Sol Lesser

Associate Producer: Barney Briskin

Directed by: Frank Borzage

Assistant Directors: Lew Borzage, Virgil Hart

Original Screen Play by: Delmer Daves

Musical Numbers Originated for the Production: "A Rookie and His Rhythm," "She's a Bombshell from Brooklyn," "We Mustn't Say Goodbye," "Sleep Baby Sleep (In Your Jeep)," "Don't Worry Island," "You're Pretty Terrific Yourself," "Quicksand" by Al Dubin and James Monaco;

"The Girl I Love to Leave Behind" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Music Score by: Freddie Rich

Musical Director: C. Bakaleinikoff

Production Designed by: Harry Horner

Interiors: Victor Gangelin

Art Director: Hans Peters

Wardrobe: Albert Deano

Makeup: Irving Berns

Sound: Hugh McDowell

Director of Photography: Harry Wild

Editorial Supervision: Hal Kern



Awards: Academy Award nominations for Best Score - Musical (Frederic E. Rich) and Best Song ("We Mustn't Say Goodbye")



The Players: Judith Anderson, Kenny Baker, Tallulah Bankhead, Ralph Bellamy, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy (and Mortimer Snerd), Ray Bolger, Ina Claire, Katharine Cornell, Gracie Fields, Lynn Fontanne, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Hugh Herbert, Jean Hersholt, George Jessel, Gypsy Rose Lee, Alfred Lunt, Harpo Marx, Elsa Maxwell, Yehudi Menuhin, Ethel Merman, Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, George Raft, Lanny Ross, Martha Scott, Ethel Waters, Johnny Weissmuller, Ed Wynn, And: Henry Armetta, Benny Baker, Helen Broderick, Lloyd Corrigan, Jane Darwell, William Demarest, Virginia Field, Vinton Freedley, Ann Gillis, Lucille Gleason, Vera Gordon, Virginia Grey, Sam Jaffe, Allen Jenkins, Roscoe Karns, Tom Kennedy, Otto Kruger, June Lang, Betty Lawford, Bert Lytell, Aline MacMahon, Horace MacMahon, Helen Menken, Peggy Moran, Ralph Morgan, Alan Mowbray, Elliott Nugent, Patrick O'Moore, Franklin Pangborn, Helen Parrish, Brock Pemberton, Selena Royle, Marion Shockley, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Ned Sparks, Bill Stern, Arleen Whelan, Dame May Whitty, and other celebrated artists from Stage, Screen and Radio; The Bands: Count Basie, Xavier Cugat, Benny Goodman, Kay Kyser, Guy Lombardo, Freddy Martin, The Story Characters: Cheryl Walker [Eileen], William Terry [Dakota], Marjorie Riordan [Jean], Lon McCallister [California], Margaret Early [Ella Sue], Michael Harrison [Tex], Dorothea Kent [Mamie], Fred Brady [Jersey]; Additional Cast: Billy Gilbert, Peggy Lee, Lina Romay



Musical Prograom: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:22] Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd comedy sketch; [0:27] The Machine Gun Song (sung by Gracie Fields with the Canteen Guests and Volunteers); [0:29] The Lord's Prayer (sung by Gracie Fields); [0:33] A Rookie and His Rhythm (played by Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra, vocals by Sully Mason, Harry Babbitt, Julie Conway, Trudi Erwin, Jack and Max); [0:37] Sleep Baby Sleep (In Your Jeep) (played by Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra, title sung by Harry Babbitt, danced by Canteen Guests and Hostesses); [0:38] The Girl I Love to Leave Behind (sung and danced by Ray Bolger); [0:54] Marching Through Berlin (sung by Ethel Merman); [0:56] She's a Bombshell from Brooklyn (sung by Lina Romay and Chorus with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [1:04] Marine's Hymn (From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli) (sung by Marines in canteen); [1:07] Sleep, Baby, Sleep (In Your Jeep) (sung by unidentified female singer with Guy Lombardo and His Orchestra); [1:11] Goodnight Sweetheart (sung by Kenny Baker); [1:23] Quicksand (sung by Ethel Waters with Count Basie and His Orchestra); [1:35] Don't Worry Island (sung by unidentidentified male trio with Freddy Martin and His Orchestra, danced by Canteen Guests and Hostesses); [1:37] The Chinese Fighting March (played by Freddy Martin and His Orchestra); [1:40] Auld Lang Syne (sung by Canteen Guests and Personnel and Chorus); [1:41] We Mustn't Say Goodbye (sung by Lanny Ross with Freddie Martin and His Orchestra); [1:45] Why Don't You Do Right (sung by Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra); [1:47] Bugle Call Rag (played by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, danced by Canteen Guests and Hostesses); [1:50] Brief Harpo Marx comedy routine; [1:51] Ave Maria (played by Yehudi Menuhin on violin accompanied by piano); [1:54] Flight of the Bumble Bee (played by Yehudi Menuhin on violin accompanied by piano); [1:55] We Meet in the Funniest Places (?) (played by Orchestra, danced by Canteen Guests and Hostesses); [2:06] unidentified instrumental (played by Orchestra, danced by Canteen Guests and Hostesses)